DOES THE MEMBRANES PHYSICAL STATE CONTROL THE EXPRESSION OF HEAT-SHOCK AND OTHER GENES

Membranes provide the structural framework that divides cells from the ir environment and that, in eukaryotic cells, permits compartmentation . They are not simply passive barriers that are liable to be damaged d uring environmental challenge or pathological states, but are involved in cellular responses and in modulating intracellular signalling. Rec ent data show that the expression of several genes, particularly those that respond to changes in temperature, ageing or disease, is influen ced and/or controlled by the membrane's physical state.